Strictly and Call the Midwife stars to swim with sharks in new ITV show
ITV has announced the line up for its brand-new wildlife-meets-entertainment series SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters, and the casting is nearly as exciting as the show's premise. SHARK! is set to air this year to coincide with the 50th anniversary of arguably the most famous shark attack film of all time, Jaws.
In the ITV reality series seven well-known figures, including Strictly Come Dancing's Ade Adepitan and Call the Midwife's Helen George, will dive headfirst into shark-infested waters in the Bahamas. Also joining the cast are Sir Lenny Henry, comedians Ross Noble and Lucy Punch, McFly bassist Dougie Poynter, and Countdown co-host Rachel Riley. Each celeb will be tasked with facing their fear of sharks through a series of adrenaline-filled challenges they will have to complete underwater.
The series has been filmed on the island of Bimini, which is known as the shark capital of the world. Thankfully celebs will get the chance to slowly build up their shark tolerance by starting off with swimming alongside safer species, before progressing to hammerheads, bull sharks, and even the formidable tiger shark.
The show is being produced by Plimsoll Productions, who hope to blend entertainment with a strong message about conservation.
Alongside their nail-biting adventures, the celebs will also learn about the ecological importance of sharks, which play a critical part in keeping our oceans healthy.
A synopsis for the ITV show teased: "The celebrities will confront their greatest fear – sharks. Their first-hand experiences will provide immeasurable excitement and new perspective; they'll come to appreciate sharks' valuable place in our ecosystem, recognising that a world without these creatures is more frightening than one with them."
Katie Rawcliffe, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at ITV, shared: "We're super excited to be combining the work of Plimsoll – a Blue Chip natural history production company – with the expertise of ITV Entertainment. SHARK! Celebrity Infested Waters promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime challenge for some of the bravest celebrities out there."
Karen Plumb, Head of Factual Entertainment at Plimsoll Productions, added: "The team at Plimsoll is uniquely positioned to pioneer this format that blends conservation with wildly entertaining pop culture.
"Our fish-out-of-water spin – delivering 50 years after Jaws – will transform the world's perception of these critical predators before it's too late."
As well as facing their fears underwater, the cast will be tasked with land-based challenges designed to push their physical and emotional boundaries, all while learning from leading marine experts about the threats sharks face in today's oceans.
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